Fact sheet 117 – Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War

In August 1962, Australia's initial military commitment to South Vietnam consisted of a team of 30 military advisers (Australian Army Training Team Vietnam or AATTV). Following the withdrawal of Australian combat forces by December 1971 and the eventual recall of the AATTV in December 1972, more than 46,000 Australian personnel had served in Vietnam. Of these, 2398 were wounded and 521 killed.

There is a wide selection of records registered with the Archives which deal with Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War. Issues covered include the initial decision to send troops overseas, their eventual recall, the escalation in the numbers, conscription, objectors to the war etc.

Listed below are record series from select Australian government departments and agencies concerning the Vietnam War. Unless otherwise indicated records listed are held at the National Archives in Canberra.

Records of Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War

Department of Defence (CA 46)

Correspondence files	1948–78	A1945
Files relating to medical matters during the Vietnam conflict	1964–72	A9647
Army office operations branch files on Vietnam operations [1]	1966–71	AWM109
Correspondence files	1967–73	A1946
Commanders' war diaries of Special Air Service (SAS) Squadrons on service in South Vietnam	1966–71	A6931
Correspondence files – RAAF HQ, Saigon	1965–72	A2049
Miscellaneous Army Headquarters/Army Office record sets	1973	A6923
History record sets of the Army Historical/Research Staff	1973–ongoing	A6932

Headquarters, Australian Force Vietnam (CA 5969)

Standard operating procedures (SOP) for various units [2]	1964–72	C2635
HQ Australian Force Vietnam (Saigon) records [1]	1965–72	AWM98
Vietnam soldier's personnel files [3]	1965–72	B2371
Standing orders/instructions for various units in Vietnam [2]	1966–72	C2636
After-action reports [2]	1966–72	C2637

Headquarters, RAAF contingent (Vung Tau) (CA 1399)

	Nominal rolls, briefings, details of operations and activity reports of RAAF squadrons in Vietnam	1962–71	A10779
	Summaries of operational activities in Vietnam – statistical bulletins	1967–71	A10780

Department of the Navy, Navy Office (CA 38)

	Naval historical collection [1]	1872–1974	AWM124
	Reports of proceedings, HMA ships and establishments [1]	1939–ongoing	AWM78

Department of External Affairs (CA 18)

Bound volumes of despatches from overseas posts	1940–ongoing	A4231
Correspondence files	1948–89	A1838
Correspondence files – Australian Embassy, Saigon	1952–ongoing	A4531

Cabinet Office (CA 3)

Cabinet files 'C' single number series	1958–67	A4940
Cabinet submissions and associated decisions	1963–66	A5827
Cabinet submissions and associated decisions	1966	A5828
Cabinet submissions and associated decisions	1966–67	A5842
Folders of Cabinet submissions, first Gorton Ministry	1968	A5867
Folders of Cabinet submissions, second Gorton Ministry	1968–69	A5868
Third Gorton Ministry – folders of Cabinet submissions	1969–71	A5869
Cabinet files, 'CO' single number series	1968–72	A5882

Attorney-General's Department (CA 5)

Correspondence files	1901–ongoing	A432
Personal [surveillance] files – Australian Security Intelligence Organisation	1949–ongoing	A6119
Subject [surveillance] files – Australian Security Intelligence Organisation files	1949–ongoing	A6122

Personal papers of Harold Holt (CP 27)

Subject files maintained by the Rt Hon. HE Holt	1952–67	M2606
Folders of papers maintained by Holt while Prime Minister	1966–67	M2684
Personal papers	1967	AA1985/247
Correspondence files of Mr Harold Holt	1966–67	A7854

Personal Papers of Sir John Grey Gorton (CP 136)

Folders maintained by the Rt Hon. John Gorton as Prime Minister and Minister for Defence

1968–71

M3787

[1] series held by Australian War Memorial, Canberra
[2] series held in Sydney
[3] series held in Melbourne

Other selected records held in Canberra

The following table lists samples of individual items relating to issues concerning the Vietnam War.

Collection references

Australian Army Training Team, Vietnam	1962–66	A4531, 215/4/1 Part 3
Treatment of prisoners and release of North Vietnamese and Viet Cong	1965–71	A4531, 201/2/7/11 part 1
South Vietnam – political – general	1971–81	A1838, TS3014/2/1 part 15A

Further information about Australia and the Vietnam War

Vietnam war service

If you served with Australian forces in the Vietnam War you can obtain access to your service record by contacting the Department of Defence. See relevant fact sheets for contact details as follows:

Army – Fact Sheet 136 – Army service records
RAN – Fact Sheet 30 – Navy service records
RAAF – Fact Sheet 32 – RAAF service records

An online nominal roll lists all who served with the Australian forces in the Vietnam War.

The fall of Saigon

For information about Australia and the fall of Saigon in April 1975 see Fact Sheet 243 – Fall of Saigon, 1975.

For more information

You can obtain more information about the record series listed above (and the items within the series) from RecordSearch, the Archives database. Follow the links in the series lists to go directly to information on that series. You can also use RecordSearch to find out about the agencies that created the records and to locate more records on your subject. You might also explore PhotoSearch to find out if there are photos pertaining to your subject.

RecordSearch and PhotoSearch are available online or in all Archives reading rooms. Reference staff are available in the reading rooms to help you, or email ref@naa.gov.au.

updated August 2008